Brazilian group Common Sense FC wants league shake-up

March 17, 2014|Andrew Downie | Reuters

SAO PAULO, Brazil, March 17 - A pressure group of more than 1,000 Brazilian players is proposing a fifth division of more than 400 teams as part of a wide-ranging shake-up of the soccer-mad country's debt-ridden domestic set-up.

Bom Senso (Common Sense) FC, set up last year to campaign for better working conditions for players, wants to offer hundreds of smaller clubs the chance to play more matches.

Brazil currently has a Serie A, B and C, of around 20 teams each, as well as a Serie D comprising 40 teams.

But only 100 or so of the country's 600 plus professional sides play more than three or four months a year with the rest competing in abbreviated state or regional competitions.

A fifth division, featuring 36 regional groups of 12 teams each, would enable more players to earn a living from the game than the current set-up.

Under the new proposals even the smallest clubs can play all year, with 20 teams in Series A and B, 48 teams in Serie C, and 144 teams in Serie D, in addition to the mega fifth division.

"We need to find balance," said Alex, the Coritiba midfielder and former Fenerbahce player who is one of the leaders of Common Sense.

"The elite teams play far too many games and yet there are thousands of players who need to find another way to make a living nine months of the year."

The proposals will be put forward to the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and the television companies.

Bom Senso is also campaigning for the formation of a regulatory body to enforce sanctions should a club not pay their players on time - a common occurrence in Brazil.

It wants a sliding scale of punishments that go from warnings to loss of points to disqualification from league and cup competitions.

"One club pays a salary more than it can afford and their rival sees that and offers more," said Pedro Daniel, a consultant with the group who made the presentation.